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Roundup: Carson, JuJu Staying Put; Linsday To Texans & More
The frantic pace we saw in the first two days of the NFL free-agent signing period (and over the course of the two-day legal tampering period to open the week) finally slowed a bit on Friday. But we still had some moves of interest. ...
In Seattle. ... Running back Chris Carson is re-signing with the Seahawks on a three-year, $24.625 million deal that voids to two years and $14.625 million, his agents at Octagon Football told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.
Carson gets $5.5 million guaranteed in the first year of the deal and can earn up to $6.9 million in 2021, the agents said.
Carson, 26, is coming off a season in which he totaled 968 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns, but an early career trend continued as he missed four games with a foot injury.
Carson has been one of the league's most productive running backs when healthy, but he's missed 19 of a possible 64 regular-season games since entering the league as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2017.
He rushed for 1,151 yards in 2018 and then a career-best 1,230 in 2019, becoming the first Seahawks player since Marshawn Lynch in 2013 and '14 to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark in consecutive seasons. Carson played in all but three regular-season games in that two-year stretch, and his 2,381 combined rushing yards in those two seasons was fifth-best among NFL running backs while his 16 rushing touchdowns were tied for 10th.
Since 2017, Carson's 4.57 yards-per-carry average ranks 15th among running backs with at least 300 carries. He averaged a career-best 4.83 YPC in 2020, rushing for 681 yards and 5 touchdowns on 141 carries, while adding a career-high 4 receiving TDs.
As SBNation noted, unlike several notable positions, playing under Pete Carroll is a home field advantage for running back. Russell Wilson might want to cook, but Carroll prefers the slow burn of the rushing attack. Carson knows he'll get the ball and he knows the coach believes in him so long as he doesn't fumble.
From a fantasy perspective, this is as positive an outcome as we could have for in Carson's case. ...
In Pittsburgh. ... As NFL.com framed it, "Against heavy odds, JuJu Smith-Schuster is sticking around Pittsburgh for another season."
NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti first reported Friday that the receiver is returning to the Steelers on a one-year contract. Smith-Schuster is taking a lesser deal to remain in Pittsburgh rather than move on.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the 1-year contract is worth $8 million.
According to ESPN's Field Yates, the deal includes a $7 million signing bonus, $1 million in base salary and four voidable years that allow the Steelers to push more money into future years and squeeze JuJu in under the cap. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo chimed in by noting the Steelers added $500K to their final offer to push it over the finish line. Went from $7.5 million to $8 million and it got done.
A source with knowledge of the situation told Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio that Smith-Schuster took less to stay with the Steelers than he would have gotten from the Ravens.
Ultimately, Smith-Schuster's decision came down to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. (The Eagles never were in it, and the Chiefs made a too-little, too-late, ultimately irrelevant push for JuJu.) He chose Pittsburgh over Baltimore on a one-year, $9 million deal with $3.5 million in incentives.
The Ravens win either way, because the Steelers had to scramble to come up with $8 million that they didn't think they'd be spending.
Also, Smith-Schuster seems pleased enough.
"This is my home, they're gonna need a wrecking ball to take me outta here! PITTSBURGH LOVE YOU, LET'S GO!!!!!" Smith-Schuster tweeted adding the famous "Wolf of Wall Street" scene featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Smith-Schuster insisted during the season that he wanted to remain in Pittsburgh. Given the Steelers' salary-cap situation, however, the possibility seemed unlikely. Even JuJu seemed to admit in the run-up to free agency the Steelers wouldn't be able to afford to keep him.
But after a big offer didn't materialize in a slow-moving wide receiver market, Smith-Schuster elected to stick with the team he joined as a second-round pick in 2017 rather than start over elsewhere.
Still just 24 years old, the wideout will hit the market again in a year, and with the salary cap expected to jump back up, he could cash in on a long-term contract a year from now.
In his four-year career, JuJu has 308 receptions for 3,726 yards (64.2 receiving yards per game) and 12.1 yards per catch, with 26 receiving TDs.
One of the best slot receivers in the NFL, Smith-Schuster generated the second-most receptions (76), the most receiving TDs (8), and fourth-most receiving yards (701) out of the slot among all players in 2020, via Next Gen Stats -- eight of Smith-Schuster's nine receiving TDs came from the slot.
He is Ben Roethlisberger's most trusted wideout in critical spots. Smith-Schuster generated 32 receptions on third down in 2020 (second in NFL, behind only Keenan Allen). He'll hope to parlay the coming 2021 production into the open-market payday he didn't get this time. ...
In Houston. ... Phillip Lindsay has agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans, his agent announced on Friday.
The deal is worth $3.25 million with $1 million guaranteed and $500,000 in incentives, a source told Schefter.
Lindsay joins veterans David Johnson and Mark Ingram (along with Buddy Howell and Dontrell Hilliard) at the position.
Houston restructured Johnson's contract earlier this offseason, opting to bring him back at a lower price than cutting his $9 million salary for 2021.
The Texans' running game of Johnson and backup Duke Johnson struggled in 2020 and the Texans' running game was ranked last in the NFL in Football Outsiders' DVOA. Johnson was released earlier in the offseason.
Lindsay, 26, became an unrestricted free agent when the Broncos rescinded the RFA tender they had placed on him which would have allowed them to match any contract but would not have provided the team any compensation if he signed with another team.
Lindsay, who made the Broncos' roster as an undrafted free agent in 2018, rushed for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl.
He followed that up with another 1,000-yard season in 2019, rushing for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite his success, the Broncos signed running back Melvin Gordon to a two-year, $16 million contract in free agency the following offseason. His production dipped to 502 yards and a touchdown in 2020 due to having to share the load with Gordon and a combination of injuries that ultimately landed him on injured reserve.
In three seasons, Lindsay has rushed for 2,550 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also has 77 receptions for 465 yards and a touchdown.
In addition, Houston continued to add to its quarterback room.
Days after signing journeyman signal-caller Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal, the Texans swung a trade Friday for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley. The trade is a late-round pick swap, Rapoport reported, executed so the Bengals move up around 30 spots in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bengals confirmed the move later Friday.
Finley, 26, was slated to be released, and Rapoport reported earlier Friday the QB was already heading out the door. But before the move was made official, Houston swooped in and acquired the third-year QB.
In his two seasons in Cincinnati, Finley, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of N.C. State, started four and played in eight games, filling in injured starters Andy Dalton and Joe Burrow?. Finley has completed 58 of 119 passes (48.7 comp. pct.) for 630 yards, three TDs and four picks in those games.
Finley will join the newly acquired Taylor and Deshaun Watson in Houston's QB corps. ...
In New York. ... Tight end Tyler Kroft agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets, according to his agent Mike McCartney.
Kroft spent the last two seasons with the Bills. He caught 12 passes for 119 yards with three touchdowns in 2020.
Kroft began his career with the Bengals, who selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He played four years with Cincinnati, making 67 catches for 661 yards with eight touchdowns in 51 games.
Overall, Kroft has 85 catches for 851 yards with 12 TDs in 72 contests. ...
In Carolina. ... Tight end Dan Arnold has agreed to terms with the Panthers. Peter Schrager of FOXSports and NFL Network reports it's a two-year, $6 million deal.
Arnold reunites with former Saints assistant Joe Brady, who is the Panthers' offensive coordinator.
Arnold, 26, played last season in Arizona, seeing action in all 16 games and starting five.
Arnold was targeted 45 times which he turned into 31 receptions (68.8 percent completion percentage), gaining 438 receiving yards (14.1 yards per catch) and converting 24 first downs, with four touchdown grabs.
In Buffalo. ... The Bills are bringing in a tight end who has a history with quarterback Josh Allen.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media first reported that the Bills are signing Jacob Hollister. It's a one-year deal for the former Patriot and Seahawk.
Hollister was undrafted in 2017 after playing with Allen at the University of Wyoming and made the Patriots' roster.
He played in 23 games over the next two seasons and then was traded to the Seahawks in 2019. The move to Seattle gave Hollister room to contribute as a receiver and he caught 66 passes for 558 yards and six touchdowns after catching just eight passes during his time in New England.
In Cleveland. ... Cody Parkey is returning for another season.
The kicker is re-signing with the Browns on a one-year deal, Pelissero reported Friday. Parkey made 19 of 22 field-goal attempts and 43 of 47 extra-point tries with the Browns in 2020.
Remember, yhou can access the full list of moves on our sortable NFL Free Agent Moves page. You'll also be able to follow upcoming moves and other fantasy relevant news in real time in the News & Views section of the site.
Visit the Headline News section for more in-depth coverage of major developments.
In Seattle. ... Running back Chris Carson is re-signing with the Seahawks on a three-year, $24.625 million deal that voids to two years and $14.625 million, his agents at Octagon Football told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.
Carson gets $5.5 million guaranteed in the first year of the deal and can earn up to $6.9 million in 2021, the agents said.
Carson, 26, is coming off a season in which he totaled 968 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns, but an early career trend continued as he missed four games with a foot injury.
Carson has been one of the league's most productive running backs when healthy, but he's missed 19 of a possible 64 regular-season games since entering the league as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2017.
He rushed for 1,151 yards in 2018 and then a career-best 1,230 in 2019, becoming the first Seahawks player since Marshawn Lynch in 2013 and '14 to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark in consecutive seasons. Carson played in all but three regular-season games in that two-year stretch, and his 2,381 combined rushing yards in those two seasons was fifth-best among NFL running backs while his 16 rushing touchdowns were tied for 10th.
Since 2017, Carson's 4.57 yards-per-carry average ranks 15th among running backs with at least 300 carries. He averaged a career-best 4.83 YPC in 2020, rushing for 681 yards and 5 touchdowns on 141 carries, while adding a career-high 4 receiving TDs.
As SBNation noted, unlike several notable positions, playing under Pete Carroll is a home field advantage for running back. Russell Wilson might want to cook, but Carroll prefers the slow burn of the rushing attack. Carson knows he'll get the ball and he knows the coach believes in him so long as he doesn't fumble.
From a fantasy perspective, this is as positive an outcome as we could have for in Carson's case. ...
In Pittsburgh. ... As NFL.com framed it, "Against heavy odds, JuJu Smith-Schuster is sticking around Pittsburgh for another season."
NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti first reported Friday that the receiver is returning to the Steelers on a one-year contract. Smith-Schuster is taking a lesser deal to remain in Pittsburgh rather than move on.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the 1-year contract is worth $8 million.
According to ESPN's Field Yates, the deal includes a $7 million signing bonus, $1 million in base salary and four voidable years that allow the Steelers to push more money into future years and squeeze JuJu in under the cap. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo chimed in by noting the Steelers added $500K to their final offer to push it over the finish line. Went from $7.5 million to $8 million and it got done.
A source with knowledge of the situation told Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio that Smith-Schuster took less to stay with the Steelers than he would have gotten from the Ravens.
Ultimately, Smith-Schuster's decision came down to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. (The Eagles never were in it, and the Chiefs made a too-little, too-late, ultimately irrelevant push for JuJu.) He chose Pittsburgh over Baltimore on a one-year, $9 million deal with $3.5 million in incentives.
The Ravens win either way, because the Steelers had to scramble to come up with $8 million that they didn't think they'd be spending.
Also, Smith-Schuster seems pleased enough.
"This is my home, they're gonna need a wrecking ball to take me outta here! PITTSBURGH LOVE YOU, LET'S GO!!!!!" Smith-Schuster tweeted adding the famous "Wolf of Wall Street" scene featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Smith-Schuster insisted during the season that he wanted to remain in Pittsburgh. Given the Steelers' salary-cap situation, however, the possibility seemed unlikely. Even JuJu seemed to admit in the run-up to free agency the Steelers wouldn't be able to afford to keep him.
But after a big offer didn't materialize in a slow-moving wide receiver market, Smith-Schuster elected to stick with the team he joined as a second-round pick in 2017 rather than start over elsewhere.
Still just 24 years old, the wideout will hit the market again in a year, and with the salary cap expected to jump back up, he could cash in on a long-term contract a year from now.
In his four-year career, JuJu has 308 receptions for 3,726 yards (64.2 receiving yards per game) and 12.1 yards per catch, with 26 receiving TDs.
One of the best slot receivers in the NFL, Smith-Schuster generated the second-most receptions (76), the most receiving TDs (8), and fourth-most receiving yards (701) out of the slot among all players in 2020, via Next Gen Stats -- eight of Smith-Schuster's nine receiving TDs came from the slot.
He is Ben Roethlisberger's most trusted wideout in critical spots. Smith-Schuster generated 32 receptions on third down in 2020 (second in NFL, behind only Keenan Allen). He'll hope to parlay the coming 2021 production into the open-market payday he didn't get this time. ...
In Houston. ... Phillip Lindsay has agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans, his agent announced on Friday.
The deal is worth $3.25 million with $1 million guaranteed and $500,000 in incentives, a source told Schefter.
Lindsay joins veterans David Johnson and Mark Ingram (along with Buddy Howell and Dontrell Hilliard) at the position.
Houston restructured Johnson's contract earlier this offseason, opting to bring him back at a lower price than cutting his $9 million salary for 2021.
The Texans' running game of Johnson and backup Duke Johnson struggled in 2020 and the Texans' running game was ranked last in the NFL in Football Outsiders' DVOA. Johnson was released earlier in the offseason.
Lindsay, 26, became an unrestricted free agent when the Broncos rescinded the RFA tender they had placed on him which would have allowed them to match any contract but would not have provided the team any compensation if he signed with another team.
Lindsay, who made the Broncos' roster as an undrafted free agent in 2018, rushed for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl.
He followed that up with another 1,000-yard season in 2019, rushing for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite his success, the Broncos signed running back Melvin Gordon to a two-year, $16 million contract in free agency the following offseason. His production dipped to 502 yards and a touchdown in 2020 due to having to share the load with Gordon and a combination of injuries that ultimately landed him on injured reserve.
In three seasons, Lindsay has rushed for 2,550 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also has 77 receptions for 465 yards and a touchdown.
In addition, Houston continued to add to its quarterback room.
Days after signing journeyman signal-caller Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal, the Texans swung a trade Friday for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley. The trade is a late-round pick swap, Rapoport reported, executed so the Bengals move up around 30 spots in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bengals confirmed the move later Friday.
Finley, 26, was slated to be released, and Rapoport reported earlier Friday the QB was already heading out the door. But before the move was made official, Houston swooped in and acquired the third-year QB.
In his two seasons in Cincinnati, Finley, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of N.C. State, started four and played in eight games, filling in injured starters Andy Dalton and Joe Burrow?. Finley has completed 58 of 119 passes (48.7 comp. pct.) for 630 yards, three TDs and four picks in those games.
Finley will join the newly acquired Taylor and Deshaun Watson in Houston's QB corps. ...
In New York. ... Tight end Tyler Kroft agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets, according to his agent Mike McCartney.
Kroft spent the last two seasons with the Bills. He caught 12 passes for 119 yards with three touchdowns in 2020.
Kroft began his career with the Bengals, who selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He played four years with Cincinnati, making 67 catches for 661 yards with eight touchdowns in 51 games.
Overall, Kroft has 85 catches for 851 yards with 12 TDs in 72 contests. ...
In Carolina. ... Tight end Dan Arnold has agreed to terms with the Panthers. Peter Schrager of FOXSports and NFL Network reports it's a two-year, $6 million deal.
Arnold reunites with former Saints assistant Joe Brady, who is the Panthers' offensive coordinator.
Arnold, 26, played last season in Arizona, seeing action in all 16 games and starting five.
Arnold was targeted 45 times which he turned into 31 receptions (68.8 percent completion percentage), gaining 438 receiving yards (14.1 yards per catch) and converting 24 first downs, with four touchdown grabs.
In Buffalo. ... The Bills are bringing in a tight end who has a history with quarterback Josh Allen.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media first reported that the Bills are signing Jacob Hollister. It's a one-year deal for the former Patriot and Seahawk.
Hollister was undrafted in 2017 after playing with Allen at the University of Wyoming and made the Patriots' roster.
He played in 23 games over the next two seasons and then was traded to the Seahawks in 2019. The move to Seattle gave Hollister room to contribute as a receiver and he caught 66 passes for 558 yards and six touchdowns after catching just eight passes during his time in New England.
In Cleveland. ... Cody Parkey is returning for another season.
The kicker is re-signing with the Browns on a one-year deal, Pelissero reported Friday. Parkey made 19 of 22 field-goal attempts and 43 of 47 extra-point tries with the Browns in 2020.
Remember, yhou can access the full list of moves on our sortable NFL Free Agent Moves page. You'll also be able to follow upcoming moves and other fantasy relevant news in real time in the News & Views section of the site.
Visit the Headline News section for more in-depth coverage of major developments.